Finance & Capital Management

Corte Madera, Calif. -- Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. reported Friday a loss of $28.4 million for the quarter ended Feb. 2, compared with a profit of $24 million in the year-ago period. Results, impacted by costs associated with the company’s November 2012 IPO, edged analysts’ expectations.

Revenue surged 30% to $398.1 million from $305.2 million last year, beating Wall Street’s forecast of $390.5 million. Same-store sales advanced a hefty 26%.

Houston -- Francesca's Holdings Corp. said Friday it has appointed Laurie Ann Goldman and Joseph O'Leary to its board of directors, effective April 17.

Goldman is CEO of shapewear brand Spanx. Earlier in her career, she held marketing positions at R.H. Macy and Maison Blanche Stores.    

O'Leary is EVP merchandising, marketing, supply chain and strategic planning for PetSmart.

CORTE MADERA, Calif. — Restoration Hardware Holdings Inc. reported Friday a loss of $28.4 million for the quarter ended Feb. 2, compared with a profit of $24 million in the year-ago period. Results, impacted by costs associated with the company’s November 2012 IPO, edged analysts’ expectations.

Revenue surged 30% to $398.1 million from $305.2 million last year, beating Wall Street’s forecast of $390.5 million. Same-store sales advanced a hefty 26%.

Chairman, president and CEO of Fast Retailing Tadashi Yanai is among the 2013 Time 100, the magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. 

Yanai was the only retail and CPG company executive to make the list. Other notables with a connection to the retail industry included Samsung CEO Oh-Hyun Kwon, Paypal co-founder Elon Musk and fashion designer Michael Kors. The complete list will appear in the April 29 issue of Time, available now.

Lowe's has released its Corporate Social Responsibility Report Card, which covers education, environment and more. 

“To achieve greater progress for our communities and our company, we continue to build on our commitment to never stop improving,” said Robert Niblock, Lowe’s chairman, president and CEO. “We’re focused on carrying out those responsibilities every day with the help of our 245,000 employees across North America.” 

HOUSTON — Specialty retailer Francesca's has appointed Laurie Ann Goldman and Joseph O'Leary to its board of directors.

Goldman has been CEO of rapidly growing Spanx, makers of slimming intimates and body shapers, since 2002. Prior to joining privately held Spanx, she spent 10 years at the Coca-Cola Company in a number of leading marketing roles. Earlier in her career, she held marketing positions at R.H. Macy and Maison Blanche Stores. Goldman currently serves on the advisory board for Suntrust Banks.

DALLAS — First quarter 2013 net sales at Kimberly-Clark Corporation rose by a little more than 1% to $5.3 billion compared to the same period last year. The company posted record profits, up 12% to $783 million from $700 million in the same quarter last year.

Strong sales of new products and fleece allowed athletic performance brand Under Armour to grow sales 23% to $472 million during its first quarter ended March 31.

Despite the solid increase in sales, the 12th consecutive quarter of revenue growth in excess of 20%, net income tumbled 47% to $8 million, or 7 cents a share, due largely to the timing of marketing expenses associated with the company’s largest ever global marketing campaign.

New York -- Sherwin-Williams Co. reported a sales increase of 1.4% in the first quarter ended March 31, thanks to higher volume in the Paint Stores Group. The company expects to open 70 to 80 paint stores in 2013.
Net income increased 16% to $116.2 million.

The company's consolidated net sales increased 1.4% to $2.17 billion. The Paint Stores Group saw sales increase 4.0% to $1.17 billion in the quarter. The company pointed to higher architectural paint sales volume across all end-market segments. Comp-store sales for paint stores increased 3.2%.

New York -- The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that J.C. Penney is now in talks with Wells Fargo and at least two other investment firms, seeking a $500 million loan to shore up the beleaguered retailer’s cash reserves.

Citing unidentified sources, WSJ said that Penney is also in talks with private-equity firm TPG and with investment company Gordon Brothers, along with Wells Fargo, as Penney casts a wider net to stay afloat.